This issue has been covered here before, but the Associated Press takes a look at the Route 66 town of Galena, Kan., and its efforts to fill in its abandoned underground lead mines before they collapse. The city wants to revitalize downtown by making a tourist attraction out of the stretch of old Route 66 … Continue reading Preventing a slow-motion disaster
Category: Preservation
Why did a turtle cross Route 66?
To get to the other side, of course. 😉 In the space of less than a mile on Old Sapulpa Road (aka Route 66) in Oklahoma, we encountered a small flock of wild turkeys and this turtle. The turkeys didn't have a problem. When a couple of motorcyclists approached from the other direction, they simply … Continue reading Why did a turtle cross Route 66?
From Pops to POPS
To help restore a vintage Route 66 neon sign, the Oklahoma Route 66 Association is hosting a poker run on Saturday, Sept. 15. The event begins at the site of the defunct Pop Hicks restaurant at North Third and Gary Boulevard in Clinton, Okla., and goes east on Route 66 to POPS in Arcadia, Okla. … Continue reading From Pops to POPS
Town will receive historical certification
The active Route 66 town of Atlanta, Ill., will receive another feather in its cap -- the National Park Service is set to certify it for its historic preservation, reports the Lincoln Courier. It would be the 61st city in Illinois to receive this certification, which opens it up for preservation grants and other aid. … Continue reading Town will receive historical certification
County can take over Route 66 police station
The Bloomington Pantagraph reports that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed legislation on Thursday that gives Livingston County the option to take over ownership of the old Illinois State Police headquarters on old Route 66 near Pontiac. The county has the option to pay $10 for the unique gun-shaped building, built in 1941, and the land. … Continue reading County can take over Route 66 police station
Cool Springs Camp owner says he’s not shutting down
On the Route 66 yahoogroup, there was a report that Cool Springs Camp, on the old Oatman Road / Route 66 alignment between Oatman and Kingman, Ariz., has been closed down for good. However, I just got off the phone with Cool Springs Camp owner Ned Leuchtner in Chicago, and he insists this is a … Continue reading Cool Springs Camp owner says he’s not shutting down
Jewel of the Southwest
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch this weekend had an article about the history and rebirth of La Posada, a former Harvey House, on Route 66 in Winslow, Ariz. Even though it's been a major attraction for several years, owner Alan Affeldt isn't done. He's undertaking a landscaping project at La Posada that will cost about a … Continue reading Jewel of the Southwest
Red Cedar Inn may be converted into museum
Personally, I'd rather have the Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Mo., which closed in March 2005 and remains for sale, reopen as a restaurant. But this story from the Tri-County Journal indicates that the city is considering another option: Pacific officials are eyeing a longtime Route 66 landmark as a potential new home for the … Continue reading Red Cedar Inn may be converted into museum
Light and motion
I've posted this video of the animated neon rotosphere on top of El Comedor restaurant in Moriarty, N.M., on Route 66 simply because I liked it. Travel blogger Ace Jackelope posted it on YouTube yesterday for a future news item. On a related note, Debra Jane Seltzer of the terrific Roadside Architecture site informs us … Continue reading Light and motion
A struggle to preserve what’s left
The Chicago Tribune today tells about Route 66's struggles to preserve its historic motels. The article focuses on the closed and deteriorating Palamar Motel in Pontiac, of which a recent photo of it can be seen here. The Tribune lays out the dilemmas: But old motor lodges present trickier problems because they are larger and … Continue reading A struggle to preserve what’s left